CUSA's Future

[Stallion]

don't know if any of you have seen these confirmed minutes from the 2003 Big East meetings following the expansion of the ACC. They show pretty clearly that the Football schools of the Big East clearly intended to split from the BB only schools. However, that would have left only 5 BB only schools which is below the limit for a conference to retain its NCAA conference credits and Tourney Automatic bid since the remaining schools had not been together for the required 5 years. . Notre Dame sided with the BB schools and blocked the split. Big East By-laws however were changed so that split will be without compensation in 5 years in 2010. DePaul and Marquette were added so that the 7 BB only schools will have been together for the required 5 years by 2010. What does this mean? It means that the Big East FB schools will be able to cherry pick any CUSA school of its choice in 2010. Candidates will be Memphis, ECU, Central Florida and Marshall et al. Obviously, those schools will be looking to leave if possible. Note that Terry Holland the new AD at ECU has fired both his FB coach and BB coach this year. Our conference maybe be getting even more cozy-perhaps the Souhwest Conference or as I think it ought to be called The Conference of the South shall rise again. Then CUSA may have to decide whether it wants to retain a Championship Game by adding more members. I hope it doesn't come to this but if I were the AD in Denton I'd be selling this as an opportunity of a lifetime for NTSU if they can build a stadium.

[EastStang]

2010 is a long way off. By 2010 the Big East may no longer be a BCS conference and none of the CUSA schools may want to join them at that point. ESPN also put up a huge basketball television contract to the BE. While the football only schools would be a great basketball conference with the likes of Louisville, Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, they lose NYC (unless you figure that Rutgers and U Conn are a bracket to NYC), Philly, DC, Chicago, Milwaukee (and they've already lost Boston). Also by then U Mass or Villanova might decide to move up to Division I-A in football. There are way too many variables. The biggest one being Notre Dame. If they joined in football then all bets are off. If they don't, that is a huge factor in the value of the BE basketball Television contract. The fact is that Marshall is in a zero tv market. ECU isn't much of a market either. UCF and Memphis are in mid-30's tv markets. So unless one or more of those teams really kick tail in CUSA they are not going to get any invites to the Big East if it is still BCS. If it is not BCS then they will not be splitting because they'd lose a ton of TV money in basketball.

[Stallion]

No its really not that complicated-the eastern schools would much rather be with the Big East schools and CUSA does not have the financial ability or clout to change that. Its a simple matter of economics.

[leopold]

I think Stallion may have hit on a major reason for TCU's departure, and also I know this was a concern for UTEP, who was leaving regional schools to them like Nevada, Fresno State, and Boise State to join UAB and UCF. If, say, 3 schools go to the Big East then UTEP could find themselves in a situation similiar to SMU's the past few years: opponents and bowls in other time zones.

The only school I would worry about losing is Memphis. With few (if any) exceptions Memphis basketball is about the only nationally recoginzed program and consistant money-making enterprise in the conference and their ties to the Liberty Bowl are extremely valuable. ECU has always and will always be overshadowed by the four ACC schools and hasn't ever been anything impressive and Marshall has shown they can win on the field but only draws 25,000 while winning 10 games a year, but Memphis, the flagship school for C-USA now, is needed. If we stay with UM, UM, TU, UH, and Rice we should be okay.

[EastStang]

Just about any school wants INTO a BCS conference. But will that love be requited or unrequited. And will the BE keep their BCS status. U Conn, Pitt, Syracuse, W Va, Rutgers, Cincinnati, USF are hardly world beaters and the question is whether Louisville is a one year wonder or a consistent player. My view is that through whatever chicanery the BCS can muster the BE will stay BCS. If they do, they won't want to add mouths to feed unless those mouths produce increased revenue or assist them in keeping their BCS status. Marshall just spent a Million bucks and walked away from bowl money to join CUSA. UCF just walked away from March Madness credits to join CUSA. I'd say they're pretty committed. ECU may want into the BE, and I would like to spend the night with Miss November, but neither event is gonna happen.

[MustangStealth]

The BE could also go after Army and Navy. The two of them might be willing to join a conference together, especially one that they both fit well in geographically. As a side note, it would be really funny if the BE ended up re-admitting Temple.